How to Remove Candle Wax Stains

Candles are a great way to decorate your table as they look nice when lit and also make any space smell good. But what happens when the wax drips on to your tablecloth or table runner? Don’t worry! Purex®  shares how to remove candle wax stains.

The first step is to freeze the candle wax stain. This will allow it to be easier to remove the wax as it will have dried. If the tablecloth or item is too large to put in your freezer, try placing an ice cube on the candle wax. If you put a few in a plastic bag and hold on top of the stain, you can minimize the mess of the ice melting everywhere. For items that are much smaller, feel free to fold them up so that the candle wax stain is on top and place the entire item in the freezer for an hour or so. Then, take a plastic card or the back of a butter knife and gently scrape the candle wax off of the item. This is easiest when the cloth is pulled taut. But be careful to not rip or cut a hole in the fabric when removing the candle wax stain.

Lay the item on an ironing board with a paper towel under the stain and above the candle wax stain. Place an old towel on top so that when you iron, the wax does not stick to your iron. Using a hot iron, carefully iron over the stained area. Do not rest the iron on the candle wax stain as this might burn the towels sitting on top of the stain. Check the paper towels to see if they are absorbing the wax and replace them as necessary. This process will help to remove the hard wax stain.

Once you have removed all of the wax, there may be a faint stain from the color of the wax. Using your favorite stain remover, spray the stain and let it sit for 5 minutes. Then launder as usual, with either Purex® liquid laundry detergent or detergent Pacs. If there is still an intense stain after ironing, we recommend Purex® Advanced Oxi + Coldwater Power liquid laundry detergent. This powerful detergent is made for stubborn stains with the stain-fighting power of Oxi. Check to make sure the candle stain has been completely removed before placing the item in the dryer or the stain could set. Repeat the process with the stain remover if the stain is still present.

Happy stain fighting! For more ideas on fighting common dinner stains, check out our articles on how to remove wine stains and how to remove gravy stains from clothing.

Purex® offers an array of great products, all at an affordable price. Discover Purex® liquid laundry detergents, Pacs and Purex® Crystals. Purex® products will keep your clothes smelling fresh in a variety of scents while keeping them looking brand new.

We understand that life gets messy and want to make laundry as easy as possible for you. With quality & value continuing to be at the core of our product development, we continue to create highly effective laundry detergent & supplies. We tested some of the toughest stains to keep your clothing looking brand new. View our Stain Lab for our best recommendations to get life's toughest stains out of your clothing.